


vagary hop

by brandywine421



Category: Daredevil (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Defenders (Marvel TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Friendship, Gen, Kid Fic, Post-Season/Series 03, Secret Identity Fail
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:34:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27089470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brandywine421/pseuds/brandywine421
Summary: "Is it true you show your face to kids so they don't get scared?" Sister Maggie asked, conversationally, but not really.  Matt knew her well enough by now to tell the difference."Oh.  A few times, yeah.  If they're really scared already, I don't like making it worse.  Why?""No reason," she lied, steering him for another circuit around the block.  Longer coffee break initiated.  "Just curious."*Set in a 'verse where the Avengers don't exist.Or maybe where they don't existYET.
Relationships: Luke Cage & Jessica Jones & Matt Murdock & Danny Rand, Matt Murdock & Franklin "Foggy" Nelson & Karen Page, Matt Murdock & Sister Maggie
Comments: 24
Kudos: 114





	1. Chapter 1

"Is it true you show your face to kids so they don't get scared?" Sister Maggie asked, conversationally, but not really. Matt knew her well enough by now to tell the difference.

"Oh. A few times, yeah. If they're really scared already, I don't like making it worse. Why?"

"No reason," she lied, steering him for another circuit around the block. Longer coffee break initiated. "Just curious."

Curious his ass. "Who's asking questions?" He didn't remember rescuing any children in the past few months but over the years - God, he had been doing this for years - there had been a few. Too many to count but still, only a few.

She huffed, disappointed. "We don't tell other people's secrets around here, Matthew. You know better."

Did he?

"You _should_ know better, that is," she said, reading his frown.

"I don't want Daredevil to be associated with the church or the orphanage, not after - " he began until she tightened her hand on his arm.

"Father Sheen would be devastated if you stopped coming around now," she said. "And I don't mind handling your medical care considering your failure to stitch in a straight line."

"My stitches are perfect," he protested.

"Of course, my mistake. You're not the only member that ends up sleeping it off in our medical wing, cheaper than getting a drunk and disorderly charge and you're not usually disorderly. Daredevil's spotted perching on our roof like all the other roofs in the Kitchen so the association would be a coincidence if anything."  
  


* * *

  
He pushed the curious conversation aside and focused on his cases - day and night - until he found himself sentenced to sleep off a busted knee and concussion in the medical wing overnight.

He knew the room was empty when he passed out, Sister Anne at the nurse station and Bobby Roberts in the far room with another stomachache from breaking his gluten-free nutrition plan.

There was someone in the room he didn't know. Young. One of the kids? "Who's there?"

The heartbeat jumped but he didn't sense movement. "Hello." A girl, thick accent, Russian?

"Hello. Can I help you?" he asked, carefully sitting up so his thrumming headache didn't overtake his mission of upright.

She didn't reply.

"Matthew, good morning. Are you making friends with Natalia?" Sister Maggie asked, stopping in the doorway. 

The name wasn't familiar but the girl's heartbeat was thunderous now that Maggie was in the room. "She was keeping me company. Are you new to St. Agnes?" he asked the girl.

"She doesn't speak much English, or at least doesn't choose to speak it with us," Sister Maggie answered. "She's been here a few weeks."

"Danger?" Natalia whispered, touching his wrist.

"No. I grew up here," Matt said. "Friend," he added, motioning to Sister Maggie. "Safe."

Natalia's pulse slowly dropped to baseline so he hoped she understood. 

"I put your clothes in the bathroom so you can shower before you sneak out," Sister Maggie said. "Your phone and keys are with them. Do you need a crutch?"

"Gross," he said and Natalia shifted. No, she was amused. "I mean, no thank you. Does Natalia have a phone? The translator app could - "

Sister Maggie shifted but it wasn't with restrained laughter like the girl. Something else. He pushed through the headache to think. The kids were allowed to have prepaid phones if they requested them, he thought. "You can take it out of my donation if her government check hasn't come through."

"Natalia, will you stay with Matthew until I get back? Make sure he doesn't fall over," Sister Maggie said and he sensed the girl's nod before she hurried out of the room.

"Thanks," he said. "Have we met before?"

She hesitated but tapped his wrist again. "You save me. I did not tell. Saw you in church. Maybe safe here."

Shit.

"I will not tell," she repeated quietly.

"Thank you." Shit.  
  


* * *

  
He showered and dressed but still had no idea how to handle this new situation, despite his mother's veiled warning weeks earlier. He limped back into the room and reluctantly took the crutch Sister Maggie nudged under his arm. Natalia was sitting on the bed intensely focused on something.

"She was a handful for the first few nights, definitely not a Catholic," Maggie confided under her breath. "Saw you at Sunday Mass and turned into an obedient cherub. Sister Marie caught her chasing some of the little ones away from the windows when you were stalking the night nearby."

"I do not stalk the night," he murmured.

"Semantics," a computerized voice said. Natalia vibrated with another silent giggle.

"Do you remember her?" Maggie whispered.

"I think so. Natalia, is your brother here, too?" he asked, taking a shot in the dark. She went rigid, perfectly still.

"Taken from me," she said sharply. "CPS."

He took a breath. "He was adopted or - "

"Home. Brooklyn. Family not all dead. Taken from me," she added in softer tone.

Oh. "I'll make some calls, see if I can find a number for him," he told Maggie.

He remembered breaking the human trafficking case with Jessica and Danny's help, hell, three years ago? They'd stayed behind to clear out the warehouse and he'd followed Karen's pet Fed to a secondary location full of children - beds bolted to concrete floors - handcuffs too tight around tiny wrists - children hand-picked from around the world for - something Madani wouldn't tell him at the time.

Something he was going to find out now.

There had only been two heartbeats in the entire building - fifty bodies but only two still breathing - cyanide capsules stuffed in their pillows but hands still obediently locked to the beds. They thought it was a test.

He'd showed his face to the boy and the girl, but only the boy showed any emotion, sniffling into Madani's vest. 

He paused his memories and approached the bed with the stupid crutch. "Natalia. I have to go to work now, but I'll be in touch."

"Thank you for the phone," she said. "And - thank you for remember."

He wasn't a hugger but - she was just a kid and they both were breathing easier after the quick embrace.

"Hurry along, Matthew, I can take responsibility for the girl's lateness but your partners don't accept my notes anymore."  
  


* * *

  
"Still don't know how I missed that mission," Luke complained as he made his third shot at parallel parking the tricked out van.

Matt shrugged. "We weren't partnering up as often. Jess had open cases and Danny was sniffing around another lead and we all ended at the same place. I'm glad they didn't see the kids - the dead ones," he admitted.

"Do they know you're coming?" Luke asked, finally shifting into park. They didn't need a giant van, Danny was ridiculous and Luke only encouraged it. But it was better than taking a bus or a cab or - shudder - the subway.

"I spoke to his guardian, Sarah Rogers. Dinah said she was a family friend and already took in the sister that survived the attack when he was kidnapped," Matt said.

"Come on, then. Do you want the - "

"No, I do not want the crutch," he sighed, accepting Luke would expect more of his weight on the walk into the building.

"We'll stop for ice on the way back," Luke promised on the elevator.

Sarah Rogers was a middle-aged woman with a warm voice and she welcomed them both inside and steered them into an open area - dining room - where two more people, girl and boy, were waiting.

"It's you. Hi, hey. I'm Bucky," the boy said. He sounded healthy and excited - like a kid. Natalia would be so pleased. "This is my sister, Becca."

He nodded, offering his hand but Luke hummed. "Switch hands." He obeyed and the girl gave him a firm handshake.

"Sorry, I wasn't expecting the blind thing any more than you were expecting the one arm thing," she laughed nervously.

"What are you doing here?" Bucky asked.

"Well, as I told Mrs. Rogers, there's a girl at my church that knows you and was interested in making contact. Natalia - "

"Natasha's all right?" Bucky gasped. "You promise?"

"Who's Natasha?" Becca asked.

"They called her Natalia, but she wants to be Natasha in America. She took care of me," Bucky said quietly. "Like you take care of me."

Becca flinched.

"Saved rations for me if I got punishment, never kicked me in the nuts if we had to fight each other," he continued. "Natasha knew how it worked, she'd been there a long time. We were going to escape together once we were back in America - I was going to help..."

"Oh, baby," Becca sighed, pulling him into a hug. "You should have said something."

"They took her away," Bucky mumbled.

Sarah Rogers turned to him. "He hasn't talked much about his time away and the police records were missing a lot of details."

"You knew the Barnes family well?" Luke asked, deflecting attention away from him as he took out the bulging manila envelope.

"Oh yes, Steve and Bucky have been friends since they were toddlers and Becca was our go-to babysitter. Their parents and I - were close. I filed for custody of both of them as soon as I found out the news but - Bucky was gone," Sarah finished quietly.

Matt placed the envelope on the table and Bucky must have spotted it immediately, climbing into the chair. "Natalia's staying at St. Agnes, it's a children's home in Hell's Kitchen. I grew up there and stay in touch because of the church," he said. "She trusted me to get this to you."

"She's okay?" Becca asked.

Bucky ripped into the package. "STEVE!"

The pacing footsteps overhead pounded down the stairs and another kid scrambled to Bucky's side. Sarah sighed so Matt assumed it was normal. "That's my son, Steve."

"Hi, Steve," Matt smiled.

"Natasha's okay, Mr. Murdock found her. Look, she wrote a letter and sent me her souvenirs - she's in the city," Bucky chattered to Steve.

"Is the girl okay?" Sarah asked him softly.

"I think so," Matt replied. "I don't know kids that well, but I trust the Sisters to keep her healthy and safe."

"Why did she approach you?" Becca asked.

"We know him. We're not supposed to talk about it," Bucky said.

"Oh. Oh! Busted knee, busted face - of course - never ever talk about it," Becca's heartbeat jolted with realization.

"Time to go," Luke laughed, standing up. "Promised his partners that I'd have him back at the office soon."

Matt was glad he'd brought Luke. "Thank you for seeing us, Mrs. Rogers. I have a feeling we'll be in touch."


	2. Chapter 2

  
"Stop harassing me," Matt said, swatting Jessica's grubby hands away from his hair.

"I'm trying to help, stop wiggling - " she said, finally burying her fingers her fingers into his hair and scrubbing blunt nails into his scalp for maximum mess.

"I hate you. So much," he sighed, giving up the fight and letting her have her way.

"You deserve it, so much," she laughed. "There, no more cowlick."

He didn't believe her but the laugh was worth it. Jessica didn't laugh enough, none of them did but he liked to think they'd mellowed over the past few years. Foggy would deny it but Karen was on his side so it counted.

Daredevil still did his rounds, but he had a partner on call every night and tagged along on Jessica, Luke and Danny's 'jobs' when they asked. His injury count had gone down a lot and talking about their cases meant they solved them faster. Teamwork made the dream work, or something like that.

He clocked the heartbeats near the church courtyard and tuned in. "Can we walk past the church?"

"Foggy said you needed to go straight home and ice your knee if you wanted to go out tonight," Jessica reminded him but shifted directions with him. "What do you hear?"

"I think the boys came to see Natalia," Matt said. He'd filled her in on yesterday's events and knew she was curious.

"I need to meet this kid anyway," Jessica perked up.

"Mr. Murdock, hi!" Steve spotted him from the front steps and called him out.

"Hello, kids," he said to greet all of them. Steve, Bucky, Natalia and Becca, not Mrs. Rogers. At least they were chaperoned since Foggy had told him 12-13 years olds shouldn't be allowed on the bus unattended despite everyone's varying childhoods. The world had changed a lot since his Dad would drop him off at the bus stop. "This is my friend, Jessica. I take it you got in touch last night?"

"They put credits on my phone so I can talk to him when I have permission," Natasha said. "Thank you for finding him."

"Sarah couldn't take off work, but we all thought this should happen sooner rather than later," Becca said. She lowered her voice. "He never told me about her, he never talks about it."

"Told you about Murdock, though? Maybe the rest is just too traumatic," Jessica offered.

"Told us about the masked guy, sure, and he tells Stevie everything, but not much about his time away. He's like a whole new kid or maybe just more like he used to be now that he's got his friend back," Becca sighed.

"What about you? You talk about what happened to you?" Jessica asked.

Becca shifted. "I talk to my shrink, he doesn't need to know - oh, I get it."

Jessica nudged her. "I guess you can't get him drunk and shake it out of him, that's how we get Matt to talk."

"Lies," Matt protested, moving to sit down on the steps and take the weight off his knee. He didn't think he was going out tonight. He leaned over to Natalia. "Before I ask too many questions, should I call you Natalia or Natasha?"

She paused and he heard her fingers moving rapidly - she had typed in her phrase first. "Natasha. Sister Maggie said she would help me update my records. The phone is helpful."

"I'm glad," he smiled.

"I'm glad you're nearby to make sure she's all right. Once school starts again, I won't be able to come see her since Sarah's got me on 'kidnapped that one time' lockdown," Bucky said.

"There's a library across the street from my apartment that does all kinds of afterschool shit," Jess said.

"Language," Matt reminded.

"Point is, text me when you're coming, I'll meet you at the bus stop and make sure you aren't causing trouble like that kid in the tree."

Matt hadn't noticed how close the heartbeat was to their group.

"I see you lurking, come down from there," Jessica called out to whoever she had spotted.

"He can't hear you. Bullies broke his hearing aids but Natasha punched them," Bucky said.

"That kid looks familiar as - heck," Jessica said under her breath.

"You helped him once when his brother got killed. He used to go to my school," Steve murmured. "Ow, what? She doesn't wear a mask, I'm not telling secrets," he cried out when Bucky, presumably, poked him.

"Christ, this town," Becca sighed.

"Language," Matt said absently.

"We are friends. His name is Clint. He knows how to fight but the nuns don't like him," Natasha said.

The kid that joined them was smaller than Bucky but bigger than Steve. But he had a feeling most kids were bigger than Steve at his age. "How long have you been here?" Jessica asked slowly to give the kid a chance to lip-read.

"Couple of weeks," Clint replied.

"He's the cupid kid," Jessica told Matt.

"Oh." He remembered her telling him about that case. "She talked about archery for weeks."

"Cupid?" Natasha asked.

"I don't get to do it anymore," Clint said.

Jessica kicked at his shoe. "Put your nun on it, Murdock. Kid could go to the Olympics or something with that stuff, it's a real sport."

"She's not 'my' nun," Matt protested. "But I'll ask about it when I find out why they don't keep a backup set of hearing aids for him on hand."

"Told you. Friend," Natasha said, squeezing his wrist before darting her hand back.

"How close is the library?" Becca asked Jessica.

"You got another detour left in that knee?"

Matt gave her a thumb's up and she caught his hand and pulled him back to stand. "You gotta bring Natasha and Clint back, you can't just ditch them at the corner."

"He's kidding, I'm a great chaperone," Jessica promised. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh.
> 
> ETA: POV's will shift from here on because I have no self control.

Father Sheen was more serious than Matt expected after a relatively light confession but he followed the priest into his office at his request.

He would always miss Father Lantom but Father Sheen had grown on him. He didn't expect the Mother Superior, usually Sister Maggie protected him from her always-watchful eye. She had to be in her eighties by now, but still as terrifying as when he was a kid.

"Don't make that face, Matthew, I can't force you into time-out anymore no matter how much you need it," she scolded.

"I do feel like I'm being called down for discipline," he admitted. "Old habits."

"We consider you a valued member of the church, Matthew," Father Sheen started. "And your volunteer work doesn't go unnoticed around here. I warned the Sisters about pushing you for more when you barely take care of yourself as it is."

Oh. "What's this about?"

Mother Superior leaned forward, joints cracking. "Little Russian girl was a child soldier, did you know that?"

"No, did she - "

He sensed her waving him quiet. "Sarah Rogers contacted us about her foster child, she's a pious woman, all the Sisters at St. Michaels sing her praises and she means well. Wants to get the girl in with her boy's psychiatrist since they have shared trauma or some nonsense. But the girl has been much better behaved now that she's made contact. She made friends with that Barton boy, God help us all."

Father Sheen cleared his throat. "The children have been doing research into our available programs."

Matt didn't like where this conversation was going.

"Natasha would like you to be her mentor, if you're willing. Clinton asked for your friend, Miss Jones, but she would have to attend church at least twice a year for us to consider your referral, and dragging you into the clinic after dark does not count," Mother Superior said.

Oh no. Jessica would not go for that - would she? "What does mentorship entail outside of visiting her when I come by?" he asked while he gathered more questions.

"You could take her to those shrink sessions, depending on your schedule," Mother Superior said. "Save us from sending a nun to Midtown. Miss Jones has already offered to take the boy to archery lessons if he finds some in the area outside of school hours."

Damn, he went to Midtown a few times a week for reasons, he didn't have a good excuse why the kid could take the same taxi. 

Father Sheen sighed. "I know the mentor you had when you were a ward here didn't turn out well in the long run, but - "

"We vet our mentors better now," the Mother cut him off. "You turned out all right, would be nice if that girl had a shot, too."

Oh wow.

* * *

Luke glanced up with the bell signaled they had a visitor - probably not a client, those had been rare lately - for good reasons he hoped. 

He didn't expect a kid - but Daredevil and Jessica had new minions, maybe they were all getting infected with delayed responsibility feels. "Can I help you, Bud?"

"Um. Maybe."

Frayed clothes, healing bruise on his cheekbone - glassed pulled down for a nervous wipe - he knew this kid. "I can work with maybe."

He'd felt the blast when the science lab exploded but he'd never been to the tech school bleeding green smoke before that day. He carried out three dying professors, six dead students and the kid standing in front of him. "How you been?"

"Alive. That's enough, right? I hope you don't mind that - I waited until nobody else was here," the kid said. "I'm Bruce, you helped - "

"I remember you, nice to have a real introduction. I'm Luke," he said, shaking the boy's hand.

"I know, everyone knows that - um. Well. There's this - anonymous Facebook group and - you met Steve, right? He set it up, he said to use his name but it's totally anonymous," Bruce said, cheeks burning red suddenly.

"Okay. Is Steve okay?" Luke asked, still confused.

"Oh, yeah, he's great, just. He suggested - um, that I talk to you. That you guys might be able to help with stuff other than emergencies because - Clint used to sleep in my basement when his brother kicked him out and I would sleep under his bed when I got kicked out and - um."

He did not miss being a kid. "Have a seat, we'll talk about it. You want some coffee?"

"Tea? Um, I go to Mr. Rand's meditation meetings in the park sometimes," Bruce snapped his mouth closed. "I don't usually talk this much."

"Like you said, I don't have anything else to do right now." He started the pot for tea and grabbed an icepack on his way back, offering it to the boy to put on his cheek. "Emergencies are our least favorite parts of the job, you know?"

"I used to wish you'd let me die and burn with everyone else, but I'm told that's counterproductive," Bruce said. "I'm not old enough to be emancipated, my school doesn't allow on campus housing anymore and when I get angry I can throw cars at people."

He wondered how that car fell off the parking deck without breaking the barrier, it had been on all over the news. "Keep those meditation meetings on the docket."

Bruce smiled shyly and he knew he was fucked. "I will. I just wondered if - you could help me figure out how to - not throw cars at people."

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

  
"I'm sorry, but I think this is so cool," Karen said, putting the finishing touches on the scheduling grid on the white board.

"Of course you do, you've been trying to snag my nieces as minions for years," Foggy said.

Matt leaned back in his seat. "I've never wanted to be a 'mentor', I mean, can you think of anyone with a messier track record?"

"That's why you'll be great - she already knows your secret so you don't have to tiptoe around it," Karen said.

"I'm more worried about Jessica, how's she handling the church requirement?" Foggy asked.

"She's taking it as a challenge and using it to bribe the kid into behaving. If she has to sit through church then he has to sit through geometry," Matt said. "She might be more excited than Karen."

They both scoffed doubtfully but Matt smiled, hearing the approaching guests. They would see soon enough.

"Checkpoint number three - " Jessica announced, slamming her way into the office with Clint and Natasha following like trained ducklings.

"Where you definitely need an appointment to make that much noise," Matt called out. "Natasha, Clint, these are my friends and work partners - Foggy and Karen."

Jessica settled into the seat beside him and started shoving fabric into his hands. "Got them some not-uniform shit to wear, your ma said it was okay."

"Good idea, they only provide the uniforms for state-sponsored kids," Matt said. "Did you follow my instructions?"

Natasha answered immediately. "We didn't believe anything she said."

"Great job," he approved, ducking Jessica's swat. "They're working on a timeline from what Sister Maggie forwarded to us."

"I don't want to see the psychologist," Natasha said.

"Bucky doesn't either but he still has to go," Matt reminded her. "Just like Clint has to go to the audiologist and Steve has to go to the dietitian."

Natasha considered it. "Will you be there?"

He considered it. "I have extra-good hearing, it's how I do my night work. If I'm there, I might overhear things that should be private."

"Okay. You can tell us if it is a trap and if we need to eliminate the doctor," Natasha said firmly.

Jessica chuckled. "I love these kids."

"And if it's not a trap? Do you still want me to wait in the lobby for you?"

"Yes."

Karen motioned to her grid on the wall. "We adjusted his schedule for travel and wait times. In better news, his girlfriend lives in Midtown and she's going to take you for fancy lunches. We never get to go out for fancy lunches."

"They're conspiring against me," Matt groaned.

Clint spoke up. "Jessica's going to take me for pizza if I have to go to the doctor, not fancy shit."

"Yeah, you're getting the better deal," Jessica agreed.

Matt shook his head. "It's not - it'll be a reward, not a punishment. Jess, did you tell Clint about - "

She hissed. "I forgot, sorry - Clint, do you know a kid named Bruce?"

The boy perked up. "Yeah, he's my friend."

"He's Luke's friend now, too. Said he knows Steve from Facebook," Matt added.

"Oh - I should check that. Who knows what Steve's boyfriend is putting out there - do you have a laptop?" Clint asked.

"I'll make sure that's not something we need to worry about - but you could've reminded me," Jessica thumped him, following Clint, Foggy and Karen into the other office.

"How did today really go?" he asked Natasha when Karen left to bring sodas and water.

"Better than anticipated."

"And St. Agnes?" he asked, wondering if she was still checking her grammar before answering.

"Tolerable," she said. Definitely translating first. "I - did not have parents. I grew up in the school, at the camp - always. Always training, always punished - adults only hurt and make us hurt each other. James said - it was wrong. He promised that when we got out I - I didn't have to choose between a whore or a killer. I could be Natasha, but then he was gone and I was alone."

"You're not alone anymore, I hope," Matt said softly.

"You were dressed in all black with blood dripping from your hands when you saved us. I have blood on my hands, too. But you are good. I can be good, too," Natasha said, matching his whisper before tapping his wrist in a now familiar strike and retreat.

"Good and bad is subjective, all we can do is try our best. There's a reason I have to see Father Sheen once a week. "

"I don't think I'm a Catholic. Is it a requirement?"

He smiled, tapping her thin wrist. "No, you have plenty of time to figure out what you believe."

"Sister Maggie said that, too. Jessica should not call her your mother in public," she added.

Huh. "Did she tell you that?"

"We asked why she was your favorite nun," Natasha admitted. "She showed us a picture of your father and when you were a baby and told us that God forgives even the worst sinners but people are harder."

Well. "It's a work in progress but our relationship is known among the locals and the church now even if it wasn't always that way. You don't have to keep that secret."

"Okay. I wanted to check to see if she was telling the truth. I don't trust people just because you tell me to," Natasha said.

"Good plan," Matt smiled.

Luke walked into the lobby, rapping his knuckles politely as he entered. Matt nodded toward Natasha. "That's the nice, polite way to visit my office, not Jessica's way." There was something - stringent - in the scent of Luke's boy before Matt shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, Bruce. This is Natasha."

"You're Daredevil's lawyer. You brought me to Daredevil's lawyer? I can't afford - " Bruce sputtered.

"Ha," Natasha said flatly, a change from her silent giggle. "Clint is in the next room, he said you were his friend."

"Oh - oh. I don't know if this was a good idea, Mr. Cage," Bruce said.

Matt smiled to hopefully relax the tightly strung kid. "You don't have to tell me anything, Bruce, but if you have any questions about your rights and options then I promise it'll be confidential."

"He gives better legal advice than life advice," Natasha said.

Jessica loomed in the door to Foggy's office. "Oh, is this your minion? Huh, Matt gets the pretty one, I get the mean one and you get the smart one - okay, never mind, that works. Come in here, kid, and tell the nice Facebook people that you're alive."

"Oh no, I haven't logged in since I broke my phone," Bruce blurted out. "And I do want to talk to you, after I talk to Clint."

"I'm going to make him some tea and us some coffee and raid your fridge," Luke said.

"Order some real food and Jessica can call the orphanage and let them know the kids will be back after dinner call."

"I will collect orders that do not include pizza," Natasha said.

He had a feeling she was going to milk those fancy lunches.

* * *

_"It's crazy, Danny - these kids that we've rescued over the years have set up a whole anonymous group on Facebook. I didn't even know Facebook could do that."_

Danny pushed the Bluetooth into his ear when Jessica took a breath and pocketed his phone as he walked into the building. "Kids can do all kinds of things on a computer, but that sounds more like a Reddit thing."

_"I think it starts there, you get a supersecret invite once the mod's fact-checked your story. So Bruce, rage-monster kid, got the link a few months ago, right? My kid - "_

"Robin Hood, thief that uses a bow and arrow, I'm following," Danny said, stepping onto a sparsely filled elevator and scanning his hand for access to his meeting floor.

_"Clint - right - he got the link a couple of years ago - so this whole group of traumatized kids have been chatting for years about us off the grid."_

"Huh. We should probably have known that, right?"

_"We weren't even working together regularly a couple of years ago. Matt's having all this 'victim follow up' angst about it and Luke's got heart-eyes about Bruce - "_

Danny wouldn't mention Jessica's sudden all-encompassing obsession with her kid. "Do you know who started it?"

_"Here's the thing - Bruce thinks Steve's running it, but Clint says it's Steve's boyfriend. Clint doesn't know Steve like that, according to Natasha, who says Steve does have a boyfriend but wouldn't set up the account because of 'redacted' reasons."_

"God, Matt must love her," Danny laughed as the elevator cleared out and continued rising. "But Steve's the one that told Bruce to talk to Luke and Steve got that idea because Bucky and Natasha met Daredevil. Is Steve connected to any vigilantes apart from being a concerned friend?"

_"No, the group was started before Daredevil found Bucky. I'm researching all the dates when we had cases involving kids, do you have time to bark some dates at me?"_

"Not really, I'm late for another meeting and Ward's going to kill me - he's been hassling me to do a face to face with Stark Industries for years but I got hung up by airport security, I'm always flagged for something," Danny groaned.

_"But you're back in town?"_

"Yeah, I'll be back at Heroes for Hire tomorrow once I do my contractually obligated duties for Rand Meacham," he said. "Send me the link to the Facebook so I can check my dates."

_"Will do - call me later."_

He tucked away the Bluetooth as the elevator finally stopped again on the private floor. He had been to meetings here before but never on the higher levels. Ward had always followed his request to avoid business dealings with them until they were out of the weapons industry - he never thought it would actually happen but Howard Stark had been backing away from defense contracts and moving toward medical and technology patents.

Ward really wanted to partner with them so he could raid their think tanks and contact lists but Danny wasn't sure why he had to make an appearance. Sure, he was the public face of their shared company, but Ward was supposed to handle the parts that didn't involve ninjas trying to take over.

"Did I **not** make clear how important it was for you to be on time for once? And wear a real suit, I can't - I can't believe this," Ward groaned when an intern pointed him to the lobby outside of a private conference room.

A loud crash startled them both before a voice said, "Oh shit, it's you." Danny and Ward blinked at the short boy standing in the middle of a pile of scattered metal parts.

"Tony, are you okay - oh shit, it's you," a woman said, skidding into the room.

Ward slowly turned to Danny before raising an eyebrow expectantly. He shook his head. He had no idea what was going on until the boy raised his hand to his chest.

Oh shit.

He did recognize the older man, Howard, when he stepped over the mess to check his kid for damage. Damn.

"I swear I didn't know," Danny hissed to Ward.

"Know what?" Ward hissed back.

"Oh," Howard said, eyes going wide. "It's you."

"Yeah," he admitted. "It's me. Maybe don't spread it around?"

"We never have, of course not, you saved Tony's life, saved our lives," Maria Stark said.

"You didn't mention who you were at the time," Danny pointed out.

"You didn't either, I mean, what kind of name is Iron Fist, do you have any idea what comes up when you Google that?" Tony asked.

Ward sighed. "I work very hard to make sure 'Danny Rand' doesn't - do you have any idea how much work goes into keeping his name off the web?" He narrowed his eyes at him. "Explain."

"It was that Staten Island thing," he said. Ward blinked at him.

"An ex-business partner tried to kill us. Iron Fist stopped the assassin and pulled shrapnel from my son's heart with magic. Then he passed out and Daredevil took him away in an Uber," Howard said.

"Oh. I remember that weekend, it's why Daredevil's not allowed to use Uber anymore, we had to buy that guy a whole new car," Ward nodded thoughtfully.

He had a sudden thought - he hated those - and pointed at the kid. "Do you know Steve?"

"No comment," Tony said after a beat.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure about this chapter. *thinky face emojii*


	5. Chapter 5

"Five oh," Bucky said, shifting to full attention at Matt's side an instant before Natasha mimicked his posture. Becca 

"Stand down," he said, the familiar perfume and hint of his own scent - she was wearing his scarf - before she walked through the glass doors of the waiting room.

"Dinah, you're early, hey," he said, embracing her with a quick kiss to respect her work lipstick.

"Hi. Thought I'd keep you company while you're stalking your charges. Natasha and James, I've heard a lot about you both," Dinah said.

"You won't get on Bucky's good side if you call him James, fuck the police," Natasha said as she shook Dinah's hand primly.

"Noted," she laughed. "I see why Matt likes you."

"Sorry, I didn't recognize you," Bucky said, darting in for a hug and snapping back to Becca's side before he could take it back.

Dinah was warm with amusement but sobered when she greeted Becca. "I was one of the agents that found your brother. I'm head of the task force that monitors vigilantes in the Northeast."

He assumed she winked since the kids all relaxed.

"We make a point to keep juveniles involved in certain circumstances off the public record for their own protection but sometimes that means they don't get adequate follow up. I'm glad Matt's given me a chance to follow up," Dinah said, sliding her arm through his elbow. "It's nice to have him talk about something not awful for a change."

"It's reassuring that you did not release our records," Natasha said. "I would rather be nameless here than sent back to the people that sold me."

"You don't know that for sure," Bucky told her.

"Close enough," she replied.

"James, Natasha - Dr. Zola is ready for you," a chirpy receptionist called from the inner office.

Natasha tapped his wrist.

"I'll pay attention," he promised, trying to ignore the jump in her heart as she followed Bucky into the psychiatrist's office.

"I'm glad you're here, Becca, I need to warn you that Matt's friend Danny is back in town and he's going to ask you all kinds of invasive questions about your arm," Dinah said, taking a seat beside her. "He's got a research division devoted to prosthetics."

"Steve already warned me, told me to wait him out for the best offer," Becca smiled.

Matt tuned them out, Dinah's hand tethering him on his knee so he could eavesdrop on the session.

* * *

"Fancy lunch, when is lunch not fancy?" Tony asked, tossing the menu on the banquet table indifferently. It was going to be a different 'welcome back' lunch than usual with the Defenders team so he'd reserved a private room.

"Don't take it personal, Mr. Rand, nothing impresses Tony," Steve said, cheeks flushed shyly.

Danny wasn't good with kids and he was worse with teenagers but Stark had attached to him like a bad rash and he wasn't going to be the Defender known for being mean to kids. He'd mentor the hell out of this little bastard.

He wished he'd pulled Steve in the drawing, though - the skinny kid was polite and well-behaved, two things Tony was not, at least so far.

"How do you two know each other?" he asked, curious as to what circles they would share.

"Dad went all in on medical research after you saved me," Tony said, sobering his expression. Oh, he was nervous, not bratty. Danny made a note of it. "There's still some pieces of metal in my heart, you know?"

"No, I didn't know," he said, horrified. Steve patted Tony on the back and the kid visibly relaxed another notch.

"You healed the muscle around it, made it - kind of - a part of how it works now. You're lucky he didn't lock you down and interrogate you for science earlier - he's probably plotting it already," Tony continued. "Anyway, Steve was one of his first patients."

Steve shrugged. "I knew you before that, we just weren't friends as much as sworn enemies. But I was - I've been dying since I was six years old, it was a longshot for me to make it as long as I did."

Tony frowned sharply and Danny kicked his shoe gently. Steve went on, tearing off a pinch of free rolls. "Mom knew Mrs. Stark from her volunteer work and they helped us with the paperwork to adopt Becca and Bucky, in absentia. She didn't sign me up to be their guinea pig until my kidneys gave out."

"She didn't - " Tony started.

Steve waved his hand. "We're not having this argument in public. Tony wanted me to do it the whole time but - I figured God's will and all that. But Howard zapped with me some classified radiation and Tony rewrote my DNA code to get rid of the leukemia and now I'm a real boy."

"He's oversimplifying all of that. If we had the cure for cancer - " Tony murmured.

"Do you turn green and growl when you get angry?" Danny asked.

Steve smiled, breaking the looming tension but Tony answered. "It was different than Bruce's level. Steve just has to eat more and take his medicine on time - "

"I'm not taking it, I grew two inches last time I took it and I don't want to talk to Bucky's creepy doctor," Steve hissed before they both snapped their mouths closed and the dining room door opened.

Danny felt like he needed a bulletin board, some post-it notes and a string to figure this out so he was relieved it was Luke and Jessica with their chosen kids.

The juveniles all seemed to know each other so Danny took advantage to sneak a swallow of Jessica's offered flask between hugs and ordered round one of appetizers to be brought in.

"You talk to Bruce's dad?" Danny asked Luke.

"He politely asked me not to, but Matt's working on all kinds of exit plans. Says he's right to be worried about nefarious people wanting to snatch him out of foster care so even - under the circumstances I should stand down for now," Luke said, not hiding his disappointment.

"What about you?" Danny asked Jessica.

She shrugged. "My kid's been great since I got him a bow from the pawn shop, thinking of paying him to climb shit for me."

"You're okay with him living with nuns?" Danny whispered.

"He says it's more stable than anywhere outside of juvie and - I feel that," Jessica whispered back. "He'll keep in touch with me if he has to run away."

He wasn't sure that was a good answer but before he could question it, the door opened again and Matt arrived with Dinah looking serious.

Well, Matt looked serious a lot but not usually when he was with Dinah - they were still in that 'flirty in public' phase.

"What happened?" Jessica asked immediately.

Natasha glanced up where she was tucked against Matt's side, Bucky and Becca already swallowed up by the other kids. "We don't have to see the shrink again."

Matt growled under his breath. "He's not a shrink, he's a - "

Dinah hummed and he went quiet. "I will follow up thoroughly when you assign me the Barnes set and this Steve I've been told so much about."

"There aren't assignments," Natasha spoke up. "James picked you and Steve already claimed Sister Maggie."

Matt threw up his hands and Jessica passed him the flask. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! This was fun!


End file.
